In the wake of its most ambitious promotional campaign in its 40-year
history, Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants Inc. is going “all in” –
engaging and entertaining its guests with a anniversary-themed website
featuring as much innovation, as it does excitement – as part of a
high-energy brand revival aimed at inviting people to experience its
freshly-prepared American Italian food.

Located at 40years.meatballs.com,
the website is the centerpiece of a six-month promotional campaign that
employs a fully integrated communications strategy to celebrate
Spaghetti Warehouse’s 40th anniversary. The Dallas-based
restaurant chain – known as a unique gathering place where every meal is
a celebration – operates 16 locations in Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Seeking an opportunity to use technology as a solution for connecting
with its guests in a memorable way, the restaurant chain teamed with two
Indiana-based companies – Z Marketing Partners (ZMP), a marketing
communications agency headquartered in Indianapolis and Anedix
Technologies Inc. of Terre Haute, Ind. Together, they partnered to
create a new microsite using a mix of proprietary software applications
and technology/social media platforms such as WordPress™, Flickr™, and
Facebook™.

The site is a hit, generating an increase in visitor traffic online
while, at the same time, attracting guests to its restaurants to sample
items from its new 40th anniversary menu and connect with the
brand through a host of activities, including a recently-completed
online photo album contest and nationwide Trolley Tour. At the same
time, the Spaghetti Warehouse social media presence is increasing
dramatically, with a 250 percent increase in Facebook fans in little
more than a year.

“When our guests visit us, we want their experience to go far beyond
just enjoying a meal together,” said Azam Malik, president and chief
operating officer, Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants Inc. “We want it to
be memorable in a way they will follow us online, participate in
promotions and share with their family and friends the good times
they’ve enjoyed with us.”

Upon opening the site, visitors are treated to an arcade-like mix of
illuminating graphics, splashed in the restaurant chain’s trademark
red-and-white colors while a song – created specifically for the
anniversary – automatically begins to play, thanks to a
uniquely-prepared Java script using any device, including desktops and
laptops, as well as on an iPhone or Android smart phone.

In a clever use of technology, the two companies – ZMP and Anedix –
promoted activities, such as the online photo album. They were able to
integrate Facebook and Flickr through the use of an automated system
capable of processing photos while avoiding duplicate images. As a
result, each photo upload was identified with a one-of-a-kind
‘signature’ similar to the license key often used to authenticate a
software program.

A mobile platform for the website was also created, encouraging the
participation of guests while dining at the restaurant and allowing for
the upload of celebration photos to the online photo album and featuring
key events from the event calendar.

For all of its innovation, the campaign also has enabled Spaghetti
Warehouse to strengthen its brand presence using social media channels,
including Facebook and Twitter. In response, its growing legion of
nearly 70,000 Facebook fans and 110,000 e-Club members are actively
downloading coupons, visiting the restaurant and enjoying the fun inside
its downtown, historic brick structures while taking advantage of a
great value.

“Our website…with all of its innovation illustrates in a remarkable way
how a smaller restaurant group, like Spaghetti Warehouse, can use
advanced technology to strengthen our brand and enable our guests to
enjoy our food while enjoying each other’s company just as you would
over the dinner table,” added Malik.